The first step toward opening the strip club was taken when Red Brick Construction LLC applied in January for a development order to build the Runway Gentleman’s Club at 908 Airport Road, the former site of Pottery World.

The application was set aside when it was determined to be incomplete, said Larry Beat with Destin’s planning division.

Another issue surfaced this month when the ownership group, through their attorneys, tried to change the name of the business that wanted to build the club.

The business Runway Gentleman’s Club would operate through was Trident-Operations LLC, the attorneys said, not Red Brick Construction. The businesses share an address at 1126 Ponce De Leon Ave. in Atlanta, records show.

A settlement agreement reached between Destin and Trident in 2010 gave Trident and its now deceased owner, Terry Stephenson, the right to put a topless bar on the industrial zoned property on Airport Road.

After the business’ name was changed, Shirley said Destin demanded to know who, with Stephenson out of the picture, owned Trident.

“The city of Destin hereby requests additional information establishing that those individuals currently holding themselves out as members and owners of Trident-Operations LLC have legally acquired those ownership interests,” the Feb. 21 letter said.

Shirley is seeking the names of the company’s members and the percentage of Trident they own “and an identification of those individuals that are authorized to act as managers or managing members on behalf of the LLC.”

Shirley said Tuesday he that he was “not authorized to make any statements to the press regarding the Runway.”

Attorney Dana Matthews, who is representing the Trident/Red Brick Construction group locally, responded to Shirley’s letter with an equally terse letter of his own Feb. 22.

“Please provide your legal authority … which requires Trident-Operations LLC to provide the city with the information requested in your letter,” the letter said.

Matthews’ letter points to specific language found in the settlement agreement.

It states that as part of its deal with Trident and Stephenson, Destin would expedite the review, inspections and construction of any adult entertainment project his company chose to build in the industrial-zoned area.

“Please advise the city that my client will hold them responsible for all damages allowed by law for the unreasonable delays of the city in expediting review of my client’s application,” Matthews’ letter said.

So far, the legal wrangling has not forced whoever is behind Runway Gentleman’s Club from taking down its website or changing its promise to open in the spring.

The club’s website features a food menu with an Asian-American flavor, a PG-13 sampling of some of the “stunning women” that have made the company the self-proclaimed “gold standard in adult entertainment,” and promotions such as “Military Monday.”

It also instructs people looking for work to send an email seeking consideration.

An attempt to contact the owners Tuesday through the website was unsuccessful and Matthews didn’t return a phone call. It wasn’t clear whether the Runway still plans to open in the spring.

Ken Gallander, Destin’s community development director, said he didn’t know how it could be.

“Knowing the sequence, from the development order to the construction permit to actual building, I think you can deduce just in the course of events, spring of 2013, that’s not going to happen,” Gallander said. “Knowing what we have to go through, it doesn’t add up.”

The first step toward opening the strip club was taken when Red Brick Construction LLC applied in January for a development order to build the Runway Gentleman’s Club at 908 Airport Road, the former site of Pottery World.

The application was set aside when it was determined to be incomplete, said Larry Beat with Destin’s planning division.

Another issue surfaced this month when the ownership group, through their attorneys, tried to change the name of the business that wanted to build the club.

The business Runway Gentleman’s Club would operate through was Trident-Operations LLC, the attorneys said, not Red Brick Construction. The businesses share an address at 1126 Ponce De Leon Ave. in Atlanta, records show.

A settlement agreement reached between Destin and Trident in 2010 gave Trident and its now deceased owner, Terry Stephenson, the right to put a topless bar on the industrial zoned property on Airport Road.

After the business’ name was changed, Shirley said Destin demanded to know who, with Stephenson out of the picture, owned Trident.

“The city of Destin hereby requests additional information establishing that those individuals currently holding themselves out as members and owners of Trident-Operations LLC have legally acquired those ownership interests,” the Feb. 21 letter said.

Shirley is seeking the names of the company’s members and the percentage of Trident they own “and an identification of those individuals that are authorized to act as managers or managing members on behalf of the LLC.”

Shirley said Tuesday he that he was “not authorized to make any statements to the press regarding the Runway.”

Attorney Dana Matthews, who is representing the Trident/Red Brick Construction group locally, responded to Shirley’s letter with an equally terse letter of his own Feb. 22.

“Please provide your legal authority … which requires Trident-Operations LLC to provide the city with the information requested in your letter,” the letter said.

Matthews’ letter points to specific language found in the settlement agreement.

It states that as part of its deal with Trident and Stephenson, Destin would expedite the review, inspections and construction of any adult entertainment project his company chose to build in the industrial-zoned area.

“Please advise the city that my client will hold them responsible for all damages allowed by law for the unreasonable delays of the city in expediting review of my client’s application,” Matthews’ letter said.

So far, the legal wrangling has not forced whoever is behind Runway Gentleman’s Club from taking down its website or changing its promise to open in the spring.

The club’s website features a food menu with an Asian-American flavor, a PG-13 sampling of some of the “stunning women” that have made the company the self-proclaimed “gold standard in adult entertainment,” and promotions such as “Military Monday.”

It also instructs people looking for work to send an email seeking consideration.

An attempt to contact the owners Tuesday through the website was unsuccessful and Matthews didn’t return a phone call. It wasn’t clear whether the Runway still plans to open in the spring.

Ken Gallander, Destin’s community development director, said he didn’t know how it could be.

“Knowing the sequence, from the development order to the construction permit to actual building, I think you can deduce just in the course of events, spring of 2013, that’s not going to happen,” Gallander said. “Knowing what we have to go through, it doesn’t add up.”